RABAUL MYSTERY

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23314, 25 September 1945, Page 4

RABAUL MYSTERY

Fate Of Allied Airmen Japanese Have Much To • Hide RABAUL, September 23. The great mystery of Rabaul is the fate of Allied airmen who came down in this area. The Japanese claim that their records concerning the prisoners were destroyed in a bombing raid, and persistent interrogation has failed to reveal much useful information about prisoners of war. A specialist of the R.N.Z.A.F. investigation unit landed with the occupation troops, and in close co-opera-tion with a similar Australian unit, has been sifting thoroughly the scanty evidence. Indians and natives as well as Japanese are being interrogated. The only reasonable certain fact revealed is that the Japanese have much to hide. It can be assumed that three Allied airmen died at different times in atrocious circumstances. There is no trace of the wreckage of any New Zealand aircraft, and Warrant Officer Ronald Charles Warren, of Christchurch, is still the only New Zealander to have come out of Rabaul alive. The Japanese clgim that some prisoners were being sent out by sea, but the ship was torpedoed. The same ship contained 200 prostitutes, but even so nothing has been said a’bout survivors. Japanese war material is being checked and examined, and a selection has been obtained for shipment to New Zealand for technical and historical purposes. One result of the investigation so far is proof that R.N.Z.A.F. intelligence and photographic reports were remarkably accurate. In fact, even today, these reports could be used as a guide to the area. Equipment worth millions of pounds stored in miles of tunnels did not appear in the aerial photographs, but it was known to be there The R.N.Z.A.F. unit is under the leadership of Flight Lieutenant W. F. Ingram, of Wellington, the historical records officer. Squadron Leader D. S. Hamilton, of Christchurch, is attached to the unit because of his extensive operational experience of the area, latterly as flight commander of No. 2 Bomber Squadron. Flight Lieutenant G. G. Muir, of Gisborne, and Sergeant G. Clark, of Hamilton, represent the intelligence section, and the official photographer is Flying Officer D. H. Vahry. of Auckland.